Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia

Red palm weevil (RPW) is the most aggressive date palm parasite in the Middle East, and especially in the Gulf region. Originated in Southeast Asia, this pest has been detected in the entire Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, Italy, Latin America, and other territories. It is important to local from obtrusive species, which help augmenting the pest control strategies. In the present study we collected 21 RPW samples from 21 different locations in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia to genetically characterize them using RAPD- and ISSR-based clustering. Unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) for RAPD data categorized the 21 accessions into seven distinct groups, with Al-Oyonn and Juaymah each categorized in solitary group, meanwhile, UPGMA for ISSR indicated six different groups, with Battaliyah, Al-Oyoon, and Juaymah each assigned to a separate group. Combining RAPD and ISSR data revealed two accession; Al-Oyoon and Juaymah that might be considered obtrusive species. Based on distance calculations, we proposed that the potential origins of RPW collected from these locations are Iran and the United Arab Emirates. However, this assumption needs further studies for confirmation.